America's fastest-growing small public companies

Analysis:
Higher energy prices have generated increased spending on exploration services such as Dawson's, which helps oil and gas companies locate potential hydrocarbons in the lower 48 states with 2-D and 3-D seismic information used in acquisition and production.

In our seventh annual list, we once again asked financial research firm Zacks to rank public companies with revenues of less than $200 million and a stock price of more than $1, based on their percentage growth in earnings, revenue, and stock performance over the past three years. (Banks, real estate firms and adult entertainment companies were excluded.) If you have further questions about the FSB 100, please e-mail lists@cnnmoney.com.

Lessons from the fastest

What does it take to catapult your company onto the FSB 100? Innovation and persistence, of course. But this year it also helped if you worked in industrial manufacturing. Although conventional wisdom holds that U.S. factories are trapped in a death spiral thanks to cheap overseas labor, a quarter of our fast-growth all-stars are finding creative ways to thrive in the bent-metal sector, up from 3 percent in 2003. Another 21 companies are building profitable niches in health care, selling everything from new drugs to remote patient monitors. Tech plays round out the top three categories, with 18 companies providing a smorgasbord of software and semiconductor products. (more)

How we pick the 25 richest executives

Equilar, an executive-compensation research firm in San Mateo, Calif., reviewed proxy statements for firms on the FSB 100 list. When the shares owned outright and vested options are factored in, these 25 executives have the most bling.